I purchased my Vette about 6 months ago and am in the process of rebuilding a 383 to put in it over the winter. I never thought it would be so fun to own a Vette and am enjoying myself terribly. If you have any info on best components (suspension, trans, etc) I am all ears.

Do any of you have a 350 bored .60 over? Are you having any over heating problems, since the Vette runs hot anyway? Would you recommend the use of electric fans?

What are your thoughts comparing a timing gear to a timing chain?

Do you have any experience using a degreeing wheel to dial in the cam? Can you give me any information?

If you have run a cam with a big lope, have you come across any vacuum issues?

thanks for your time

John

WOW, what a mouthfull. We can discuss volumes over those questions. What you need to do is give us an idea of what you want the car to do, and what is more important to you.

I can handle the last one right off the bat. If the cam is too agressive, the vacuum will drop off. That will cause problems with the heater controls, and the headlights. If you have 72 or older, include problems with the wiper door. If you have an automatic, you also need to consider the stall speed for the converter. Get much more agressive on the can and you will need a higher stall speed or you will have no power starting out.

yeah my first question is.. what do you want it to do?

what gears, what tranny is next..

as for vacuum.. definitely a problem with lopey cam.. but I plan to put an electric vacuum pump on my car for accessories..

that problem is easily solved....

im a big fan of electric fans in any case.. but 350 60 over is a good candidate. look at dewitts dual spal fans..

and as for timing gear vs chain.. a good chain is fine in most apps. gears are cool but they are loud.. even the quiet ones are loud.. but they do sound pretty cool..

|UPDATED|12/14/2004 8:54:17 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

I love the whine of a gear drive!!!!!!!!!

There was a problem with After Shark's response which was causing page display issues so it has been deleted. Here is his repaired response:

After Shark said:

sugar_daddy said: Do any of you have a 350 bored .60 over? Are you having any over heating problems, since the Vette runs hot anyway? Would you recommend the use of electric fans?

Anytime you puch a block .060 over you need to be sure you have the walls sonic tested for thickness. There are many blocks that out there that will have thin spots. personally I would never go this large with a factory block. Aftermarket blocks would be Ok. Walls this thin are subject to heat distortion, wall warpage, or incorrect cylinder taper if the engine were to overheat.

Electric fans would be my choice along with an aluminum radiator.

What are your thoughts comparing a timing gear to a timing chain?

Timing gears are more accurage and will not have a tendency to stretch over time causing loose timing. They can be more difficult to install and sometimes require additional machining to the block. Some will not fit under the stock timing cover. I would get a good torrington bearing billet roller. you will be extremely happy with this type of setup and you won't get tired of hearing the timing set whine.

Do you have any experience using a degreeing wheel to dial in the cam? Can you give me any information?

Yes, you really should degree the cam. Although if the cam is correct in its build you should be able to just line up the dots and be good. Degreeing will ensure you are correct and the cam is for sure in the right position. Advancing or retarding the cam changes the power curve.

If you have run a cam with a big lope, have you come across any vacuum issues?

I think ken and Ben covered this one.
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Thank you all for answering my questions. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back here.

I forgot to mention it is a 75 Stingray convertible.

I am looking to get more power out of it now. I feel ashamed driving a Vette that a little Honda Prelude can out run. LOL With factory 210 horse, it's just not cutting it. I am building the 383 and am trying to get 450-500 HP. I'm looking for good ideas about suspension, I will put in poly urethane and need ideas about springs, I would like to get a smooth as ride as possible while stiffening it up a little.

I haven't been able to find to find electric fans to cover the HP plus A/C. The one's I have found max out at 400 without A/C? Any ideas where the fans are available? Yes I have been looking at the aluminum radiator also.

I knew there were vacuum problems with a bigger cam, but what is the biggest you have run without the vacuum problems? I've looked at the electric vacuum pumps, but was hoping to avoid it from a cost standpoint.

thanks again,

John

you forgot transmission and gears..

have you talked to dewitts about the dual spal fan + aluminum radiator kit..

if it will cool my 427 it should handle your 383..

http://www.dewitts.com

these are great setups.. i just installed one in a 49 chevy truck.. it works great.. middle of the summer with the air on and it still didnt overheat.. and its got a hot 350..

as for vacuum pump.. they arent very expensive.. almost anything you do to boost your performance is likely to cause vaccum problems.. an electric pump is a great fix..

the BEST thing you can do for performance is to get a good MATCHED top end setup..

ie heads, intake, cam, carb..

for the novice mechanic.. this is the EASIEST way to get more power and not mismatch your capabilities. it is very easy to get your intake and cam crossed up.. these matched sets are tuned for what you want. Holley and Edelbrock make a number of matched sets..

and now to what you want... are you trying to make the car quick or fast? ie .. are you more worried about torque or horsepower?

this is where it helps to know what kind of tranny and gears you have..